Let's Make A Deal
by Just My Cup Of Tea
Summary: Eren is a demon with a penchant for bad pick up lines, and Armin is a religious studies major with an unfortunate habit of thinking out loud.


For arminssmile on tumblr's prompt: "What about demon!Eren being a seductive little shit with Armin when summoning him"

* * *

Armin has really bad luck.

Fantastically, humorously, comedy (notably not romantic comedy) movie gold, bad luck.

He's a first year Religious Studies major, and he's finally got his small dorm room to himself for once. His roommate, Jean, had found himself a boyfriend about three weeks into the semester, and while Armin liked both Marco and Jean just fine, but neither of them seemed to have work to do or studying or anything.

Armin, on the other hand, is up to his ears in reading. And he loves his major, he really does, but there's only so much reading about the obscure religious texts of the obscure cult of some far off obscure century before he wishes they had been a little bit more obscure so that no one would have known they existed.

He spends quite a lot of time wishing his roommate and his boyfriend could be more obscure too.

But not tonight, because tonight it's just him, an empty room, and a stack of books full of symbols he needs to have memorized by the final in three weeks.

Whoopee.

About thirty minutes and exactly a one and three quarters of a page later and Armin realizes this just isn't going to work.

He's always learned best by writing, anyway.

So he opens up to the page of symbols and incantations he has to be able to recognize on site and starts drawing.

It doesn't take him long before he has a few full pages of symbols. He's fairly confident that he can at least draw them with acceptable accuracy.

Now he just has to memorize, you know, what they actually do.

And he's lost his page in his book, too.

Armin flips through the pages and idly mumbles to himself, mostly words in Latin. Maybe if he says them out loud he'll flip open to the right page -

"All right, did you draw the circle really small or has it just been a really long time since I've been on Earth and you humans finally got bigger?"

Armin hits his head on his shelf so hard he sees stars at the sound of a voice, so close to him in what he thought was his empty room. Rubbing his head mournfully, he looks around his room for whatever electronic device he left on that made that noise.

What he sees is not his phone or even Jean's.

It's not his computer playing an ad.

Nope.

None of those.

Instead, he finds further evidence that everyone who says he was insane for picking the major he did is right.

There's a person standing on his desk.

The person is just about as tall as Armin's hand is long, and is standing nonchalantly in one of the more circle-like symbols. They're wearing white pants and a tan jacket with some kind of wing emblem stitched onto it. The whole thing has leather straps crisscrossed over it. Altogether, the outfit is a bit odd.

But not quite as odd as the fact that _there is a tiny person standing on Armin's desk_.

So Armin does what anyone logical person would do in this situation.

He screeches and backs away violently from his desk, slapping a hand over his mouth at the sound. His eyes are wide and shocked.

"Hey, easy, whoa," the small person says. The person is making calm down gestures with their hands. "C'mon, you can't be that shocked that your summoning worked, your pronunciation was pretty good, you've obviously had practice -"

"I'm a religious studies major," Armin says dazedly, lowering his hands slowly from his mouth. "I see a lot of Latin."

"You're a what?" the person says. "I don't think those kind of humans existed last time I was up here."

"It's not what kind of human I am, it's just what I'm studying - well, I guess it's sort of what human I am. . . " Armin trails off.

"Well, no matter what kind of human you are, are you guys bigger than you normally are or did you just draw a really small summoning circle?"

"I guess I drew a small summoning circle? I mean, people are taller than they've ever been, but only by inches in decades so not enough to account for your size - wait a second, what are you doing in my room?" Armin says, shaking off the shock a little bit. The person shrugs.

"You tell me. You're the one doing the summoning; I just show up." The person looks at Armin closer. "You look pretty surprised. First time summoning anything?"

"Yes?"

The person grinned.

"Well it is my pleasure to be your first," the person said seductively, grinning. They stepped forward, out of the circle, until they were right at the edge of Armin's desk, and took one last step off. Instead of falling, their step hits the cheap carpet as a regular footstep, the person now being of average person size. Which, of course, means that he's taller than Armin. Armin tries not to resent it.

"Do you guys still meet each other with a handshake?" the person says, still grinning. "I'm Eren, demon. And you are?"

"Armin," Armin says, reaching out to grab the offered hand. "Uh, human? I didn't mean to summon you. I was trying to study."

Eren perks up.

"Study? It wasn't biology by any chance?"

"Uh, no. Religion."

"Damn. I had a good pick up line."

"You - you had a pick up line?" Armin says. "But you're a demon."

"And I haven't been up to Earth in a long time. Do you have any idea how many pick up lines I have saved up?" Eren chuckles. "You probably don't. But I'll make it my mission to see that you do." Eren pulled out Armin's desk chair and sat in it backwards so he could fold his arms on the back of it. "Well, you summoned me, so are we gonna make a deal or what?"

"No? I'm not making any deal. I'm a religious studies major. There is no religion that I've studied that says making a deal with a demon will ever end up okay." Armin snorts. "I'm not stupid."

"D'aw, come on. There's got to be something you want." Eren leers at Armin a little harder. "Maybe we could have some other first times tonight? You know, besides first summoning. How about first time being -"

"No thanks," Armin says, hoping that he isn't as red he feels. Judging by the way Eren's leer deepens, that's a lost cause. "If I was going to ask for anything, that wouldn't be it."

"Who said that's what _you'd_ be getting? That would be the price."

"I - uh - no - well -" Armin stammers, trying to keep his eyes from wandering around Eren, which doesn't go well. It's not like Eren is hard to look at or anything. He stops, takes a good, long, hard look at his ceiling and then turns his gaze back to Eren. "No. Sorry. Still not making a deal." He shrugs. "The only thing I want is to pass my finals. And I can do that on my own, thank you very much."

Eren reaches behind him and grabs the book Armin had been studying out of earlier.

"Oh, these people?" Eren comments, flipping through the pages. "I remember these people. They did get a few things right."

"Obviously," Armin says. "You're here."

"You know, I could help you with this," Eren says.

"Cut it out, I'm not going to make a deal with you."

"No, no, I mean -" Eren starts, then stops to take a deep breath. "You know. Just help you out. I mean, I was there. I could tell you about them."

Armin raises his eyebrows.

"In return for what? I don't have anything to give you, besides myself."

"That's all right, that's enough," Eren blurts. "Wait, no, not like that. I mean - I just won't use anything - what's the word? - supernatural to help. I'll just. Talk and stuff. And hang around. Just. Don't send me back yet? It's boring down there," he pouts.

"Well, I don't know how to send you back, so you might as well help while you're here."

"And then I'll show you how to send me back, too," Eren adds. "What do you say? Deal?" Eren winces as soon as he says it. "Sorry - not a deal - I didn't mean - shit - sorry, it's a habit - fuck -"

Armin can't help it - he laughs.

"Sounds good to me."

Eren perks up immediately.

"Really? Yes, it's been so long -"

Just as Eren is celebrating, there's fumbling with the door.

"Shit," Armin hisses under his breath, looking back at Eren. "Can't you wear anything less conspicuous?"

"What do you mean, less conspicuous?" Eren says, slightly offended.

"Less military and more casual?"

"Fine, fine," Eren says, and when Armin blinks he's in jeans and a t shirt. Again, he tries not to stare, without much success.

Luckily, the door opens and Armin can look at Jean instead. Well, maybe not luckily.

Jean starts a little bit when he sees Eren and opens his mouth to say something, but Armin cuts him off.

"I thought you were staying with Marco?" he sees, making sure to layer his voice with extra disappointment and annoyance. Jean starts rummaging around in his side of the room. "We were planning on studying pretty late tonight."

"Oh - well, yeah, I am but I forgot -" Jean flushes. "- something."

Armin and Eren stare.

"Ah," Armin says finally.

"Yeah, so. . . I'll see ya." And Jean nearly runs out the door.

"He seems charming," Eren snorts.

"That's Jean, my roommate. He's not that bad."

"I don't like him."

"Well, it's a good thing you don't have to live with him," Armin retorts.

"I'm going to be for a while, though."

"What?"

"Living with him," Eren says, stretching. "At least while I'm helping you. I have nowhere else to go."

"So you're going to be living here?" Armin says, raising his eyebrows. "There's barely room in here for two people, let alone two and a demon."

"I'll make it work." As Eren speaks, his old clothes pop back into existence and the t shirt and jeans vanish.

"What are the wings?" Armin asks, gesturing towards Eren's jacket.

"Oh, these? We call them the wings of freedom. Supposed to be symbols of a life outside of the walls of angels."

Armin hops up on his bed.

"Angels?"

"Yeah, you know. Halos, good things, rules. Haven't seen one for a long time."

Armin wrinkles his nose in confusion and settles against the mattress.

"Why not?"

Eren sighs loudly.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you though, but maybe later. Isn't it getting kind of late for you?" Eren asks, looking at the clock. "Or maybe time telling has changed."

"No, it is getting late," Armin admits. "I have class early tomorrow. Should probably go to bed."

Eren stands up from the chair and walks over to Armin's nightstand and starts inspecting his tissue box. He pokes it a few times before grinning at Armin.

"What are you -" Armin started to ask, but before he could finish Eren was setting one hand on the nightstand and setting himself up as if to jump over it. Eren grins at Armin before swinging himself up -

- and landing on top of his nightstand, as small as he'd been when Armin had first seen him on his desk. He makes his way over to Armin's tissue box and swings himself inside of that, making himself even smaller so that he can make himself fit in it like a bed.

"Told you I'd make it work," Eren says, smug. Armin rolls his eyes and begins changing for bed, trying to ignore Eren's eyes on him.

Eventually he curls into bed, leaning over to set his alarm and turn off the light.

"Night Eren."

"Night Armin."

* * *

The next day, Armin's bad luck streak continues, because apparently demons are easily startled by loud noises.

He wakes up, not because of his alarm, but because of a startled demon popping into human size while still inside of a tissue box, which makes a sound not unlike a really big kernel of corn popping.

He looks wildly around the room before settling on Eren, who looks rather confused himself, sitting on top of Armin's nightstand surrounded by the scattered cardboard remains of the tissue box.

Armin can't help it. He starts cracking up. Eren manages to look indignant for about twenty seconds before joining him.

* * *

"So what's up with angels?" Armin asks, sitting on his bed. Eren sits backward in his desk chair like the day he first appeared in Armin's room. Armin is working on something for another class - it's his last semester of math. Ever.

"Oh right," Eren says. "Forgot about that. So, angels. They're a lot like demons, honestly - but they have a lot of rules. Pretty nonsensical ones, too. Supposedly they're for keeping the world in balance and all that crap. Mostly it just suppressed demons - said something about us 'wrecking havoc' and some such nonsense. Anyway, it got really ugly about - what year is it?"

"2014?"

"About a hundred years ago, then. Big fights between angels and demons - really wasn't much fun for anyone. Even humans felt it. The outcome was that angels and demons ended up stuck in our respective dimensions - that's why I haven't been here for a while. Of course, the loophole is summonings."

"The last time you were on Earth was World War I?" Armin asks, slightly stunned. Eren shrugs.

"If you say so. Honestly, I was going a little stir crazy. Feels good to get out a bit."

"Eren, you've been camped out in my bedroom for a week."

Eren grins.

"You say that like there's somewhere else I'd rather be."

* * *

Despite Eren's insistence that he wasn't bored stuck in Armin's room, Armin dragged him outside anyway after making him change his clothes once again. Eren was still complaining.

"You know, we consider wearing those clothes to be symbols of what we went through to get away from -"

"I don't have anything against them, but they would look a little strange to most people."

"Well, I could just walk around naked, that's the most natural -"

"Oh my God, please don't," Armin mutters. He really wishes Eren would stop grinning at him like that all the time. It makes him think of creative ways to get him to stop.

"Fine. I'll save that sight just for you."

* * *

"Beliefs about angels vs. demons?" Eren quizzes Armin from his place lounging on Armin's bed.

"Angels and demons would one day sort out all of their problems in a large physical feud. Afterwards they would leave in peace and harmony," Armin answers easily, hunched over a book at his desk.

"That's not how it happened. Large physical battle and now we live angrily in our dimensions waiting for someone else to make a wrong move so we can start fighting again. Personally I think we should just start fighting now, start trying to make things better -"

"What's the answer that will get me the points on the test?" Armin interrupts.

"Physical feud ending in peace and harmony," Eren replies testily.

"See, that wasn't so hard -"

"Do you wanna see something that is hard?"

"_No._"

* * *

Armin has about thirty six hours before his Religious Studies 136 final, and like every good college student about to take a final in their major, he's reflecting back on his entire life leading up to that point, in light of the fact that he might not have one after the final.

He's paying especially close attention to the last three weeks of his life.

Armin has not had good luck in life, especially not in the social department of life. He likes people just fine, and has had a few close friends in his lifetime, but a combination of changing life plans and philosophies means that he hasn't had anyone stick around during the transition to college.

He really hasn't been _interested _ in anyone like he's interested in Eren, though. Like, ever.

Because Eren is funny, with a quirky sense of humor that runs parallel to Armin's. He's relentless with his cheesy pick up lines, but remarkably earnest with his desire to stick around. He's genuinely interested in Armin and Armin has just gotten so used to having him around that -

Ah, who's he kidding. He's got it bad for the demon.

And after his final, Eren is going to be gone. Back to Hell, or whatever the demons call their dimension. And Armin will be alone. Again.

Armin sighs and resigns himself.

* * *

Armin walks out of his final cranky and exhausted, but pleased. He's even more pleased when he sees Eren waiting for him outside, in casual clothes, no less.

"So? How did it go?" Eren asks.

"Well. She ran the scantron when I turned it in. 94%." Armin allows himself a sigh of relief. It's over, and he did it.

But.

It's over.

"Woohoo!" Eren shouts, unashamedly enthusiastic and loud. Armin smiles tiredly. He pulled an all nighter the night before and didn't sleep well the night before that. All he wants is a nap. He heads back towards the dorms, Eren falling in step with him easily.

They walk back in comfortable silence, Armin letting out a yawn every now and then. By the time they make it to his room, he's practically asleep on his feet and ready to fall into bed, but there's one thing he has to do first.

Armin locks the door behind them, kicks off his shoes, and turns to Eren, who has already changed from the casual clothes into his uniform once again.

"All right," he starts. "I'm going to make you a deal. You don't leave while I'm taking a nap and in return I'll let you stay while I take a nap. Sound good? Deal? Deal. Fantastic. Now come here and seal it."

And with that Armin seizes the leather straps on Eren's chest and yanks him down the few inches in their height difference and smashes their lips together.

Eren makes a surprised noise and flails wildly at the unexpected actions. Armin holds them together for a few, brief seconds before releasing Eren, letting go of the chest straps. As soon as he does, he turns away and begins stripping off his outer layers, getting ready for a nap.

"It's kind of funny," Armin starts, while Eren's still staring into nothing with glazed eyes.

"What's funny?" Eren mumbles, touching his lips.

"For all of that flirting," Armin says, down to boxers and crawling into bed. "I would have thought that you'd kiss better than that."

That snaps Eren out of his daze.

While Armin is snuggling deeper down into bed and letting himself relax, Eren is busy stripping out of his uniform, regretting how long the buckles take to do manually. He tosses his boots underneath Armin's desk and lays his jacket over the back of Armin's desk chair.

Once he's down to underwear, he stalks over to the bed where Armin's curled on his side.

"Kiss better," he mutters under his breath. "I'll show you kissing better -"

He kneels on the bed, one hand braced against the mattress and the other on Armin's shoulder shoving him onto his back. When he has Armin blinking up at him he wastes no time in leaning down and licking his way into Armin's mouth.

Armin takes to sudden, fierce kissing better than Eren did, and wraps an arm around Eren's neck while he moans into his mouth. Eren savors the sound before pulling back slightly to gently sink his teeth into Armin's bottom lip. He traces where his teeth had been with his tongue and kisses the corner of Armin's mouth before pulling back to look down at him.

Armin's eyes are half closed and he's got a lazy smile on his face. Eren settles next to him on the bed and lets Armin curl into his side, smirking with satisfaction.

"_Now_, we have a deal."


End file.
